Cidade do Samba [Samba City] is a 114m2 area allocated to the samba schools from the Rio de Janeiro Special Group. It was created in 2005 by Rio City Hall, with a structure capable of receiving visitors, Carnival exhibitions, samba school shows, and other artistic and cultural activities. The costumes and allegorical floats are produced on site by the 14 teams, which divide up the work sheds.
The Cidade do Samba project is part of the revitalization plan of the old Rio de Janeiro port area. It was constructed with the objective of assimilating with the architecture of the warehouses on the pier and the sheds of the old train depots located in the area. Through a decree in 2011, the mayor at the time, Eduardo Paes, renamed the Cidade do Samba space “Joãozinho Trinta,” in honor of the ‘carnavalesco’ who passed away that year.